2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread

[duncan_idaho]

Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.

Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.

At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.

Burning questions updates below.

Burning Questions for 2013:

1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?

Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.

2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.

3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Louis Coleman up, Will Smith down.

Gio back in lineup at 2B.

Escobar back batting second.

Sigh.

[gblowfish]

If Billay's average drops below .240, I'll start calling him "Cartman." That's the same deal I have with Gordon as to whether he's "Alice" or not....

[Prison Bitch]

No doubt, Billy and Moose came into the year as obese lard asses because they thought they were better than they were and guaranteed starters. In billy's case you can understand it as he was an AS and a top-20 hitter last year in the AL. But it's a lesson: take the offseason seriously. Piling down breakfast burritos every morning and sleeping all winter doesn't make for a good year. These guys are WAY too young to be this fat.

[C3HIEF3S]

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report 10m
#Royals making change in rotation. LHP Bruce Chen will replace RHP Luis Mendoza, who becomes the long reliever.

[sedated]

Originally Posted by CJizzles

Sigh.

At this point I’m hoping Escobar’s avg drops like a rock. I’d rather have him go through a 1-14 slump now and get dropped to 9th than to have him at .249 and bat 2nd the rest of the year.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by C3HIEF3S

Bob Dutton ‏@Royals_Report 10m
#Royals making change in rotation. LHP Bruce Chen will replace RHP Luis Mendoza, who becomes the long reliever.

I'm cool with that, but Ned needs to yank Chen after about 5 innings since that's when things usually go bad with him.

[teedubya]

Do we win any in the Bronx?

[sedated]

When is the last time anyone can remember a .247 hitter (with .279 OBP and on pace for 6 HR) who batted 2nd permanently?

[Ceej]

Originally Posted by sedated

At this point I’m hoping Escobar’s avg drops like a rock. I’d rather have him go through a 1-14 slump now and get dropped to 9th than to have him at .249 and bat 2nd the rest of the year.

While I don't wish or hope anyone slumps (other than Frenchy when he was with the team) with this current team something has to happen to get Alcides out of the two hole.

I vote for trading Chase Utley.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by sedated

When is the last time anyone can remember a .247 hitter (with .279 OBP and on pace for 6 HR) who batted 2nd permanently?

I'm sure there were a plethora of them in the 80s.

The Indians also batted Omar Vizquel second for a portion of the mid-90s... when Eddie MUrray, Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez (not to mention Travis Fryman, Kevin Seitzer, Paul Sorrento) were all batting further down the order.

Side note:

BA released its mid-season top 50 today.

Yordano Ventura checks in at No. 26, the highest-rated Royal. Zimmer is No. 28 despite his results. And Mondesi checks in at No. 50.

I'd imagine Sean Manaea, Bubba Starling, Cheslor Cuthbert, Hunter Dozier, and Jorge Bonifacio, all have a shot at cracking their top 100, as does Miguel Almonte.

Alexis Rivera is an off-radar name to keep an eye on as well. Nice corner OF profile who raked in rookie ball last year and has put up pretty good numbers as Dozier's teammate so far.

[DeezNutz]

Petro claimed that Escobar at #2 is damn near a fireable-level offense for Moore and Hillman, and it's hard not to agree to a certain extent. Simply baffling stupidity.

Meanwhile, it's time to try to move Ventura and Zimmer because the Royals cannot develop pitchers for shit. Sell high(ish).

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Petro claimed that Escobar at #2 is damn near a fireable-level offense for Moore and Hillman, and it's hard not to agree to a certain extent. Simply baffling stupidity.

Meanwhile, it's time to try to move Ventura and Zimmer because the Royals cannot develop pitchers for shit. Sell high(ish).

Freudian slip?

I agree that if you can move Zimmer for a valuable piece that can be controlled for multiple years, you do that. Hitter or pitcher.

Ventura is good enough that I don't think they can really screw him up. And he has already cracked the level where it seems the Royals' development folks have been lacking (The AA jump).

[Al Bundy]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Petro claimed that Escobar at #2 is damn near a fireable-level offense for Moore and Hillman, and it's hard not to agree to a certain extent. Simply baffling stupidity.

Meanwhile, it's time to try to move Ventura and Zimmer because the Royals cannot develop pitchers for shit. Sell high(ish).

He is right.

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Freudian slip?

.

Yeah, start talking about epic levels of dumbassery and I go to the gold standard, apparently.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

.

Yeah, start talking about epic levels of dumbassery and I go to the gold standard, apparently.

Hitting Escobar second is an excellent example of Ned Yost's old-school dumbassery.

Putting a speedy bat handler in that spot was common baseball logic for a LONG time (just like the thought that a .300 hitter who never walked and posted a .325 OBP was better than a .280 hitter who walked enough to post a .350 OBP). Most of the smarter teams have moved away from that thought process.

But I'm sure in Ned's baseball brain, have a "classic" 2 hitter is important. Just like he thinks Tim Collins and Bruce Chen give him an advantage against LHHs.

While we're on the subject of "new school 2 hitters"... Johnny Giavotella, if he could be a .280/.330/.450 hitter, is a great example of what a modern 2 hitter/2B can look like. I wish they'd give him a legitimate shot in that spot and give him the chance to hit in the middle of a lineup/with men on base a little more often.